The Paraphilia reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004
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Paraphilia

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Paraphilia(s) is a mental health term for arousal in response to sexual objects or situations that are not part of normative arousal/activity patterns, and that in varying degrees may interfere with the capacity for reciprocal affectionate sexual activity.

Many of these responses are often considered perversions or psychosexual disorders in various societies, and how to regard these behaviors is a controversial matter in all situations. The term "paraphilia" is seldom used, but it is seen by some as aiding objectivity in regard to kinds of behavior that are generally regarded as taboo, and are shunned, criminalized, or even punished by death. It was used by Sigmund Freud as early as 1894, as well as by the sexologist John Money.

Table of contents
1 Overview
2 Non-consensual and criminal paraphilias
3 Common paraphilias
4 Other paraphilias
5 Religion and Paraphilia
6 See also
7 External links

Overview

What is considered to be "perversion" or "deviation" varies from society to society. Paraphilias are often called sexual perversions or sexual deviancy with negative connotations or kinky sex with more positive connotations. Some specific paraphilias have been or are currently crimes in some jurisdictions. In some religions they are considered sins. Since the development of psychology attempts have been made to characterize them in terms of their etiology and in terms of the ways they change the functioning of individuals in social situations. Some behaviors that might be classified as paraphilias by some subsets of society may be viewed as harmless eccentricities by other subsets of society.

Some paraphilias are defined as potential mental disorders in the DSM-IV. These are:

Observation of paraphiliac behavior has provided valuable scientific information on the mechanisms of sexual attraction and desire, such as behavioral imprinting. Careful investigation has also led to the tentative conclusions that normal biological processes may sometimes be manifested in idiosyncratic ways in at least some of the paraphilias, and that these unusual manifestations are frequently associated with unusual (and especially traumatic) events associated with early sexual experience.

Non-consensual and criminal paraphilias

Common paraphilias

The following paraphilias are sufficiently common in the general population to be frequently observed in clinical literature, as well as being able to support entire sub-genres of mainstream commercial pornography.

Note that non-consensual sadomasochistic acts may consititute assault, and therefore belong in the list above. Some jurisdictions criminalize sadomasochistic acts, regardless of consent.

Non-consensual exhibitionism in public places, where people who have not previously consented to watch are exposed to sexual display, is also an offense in most jurisdictions. (See indecent exposure).

Note: Wikipedia does not give legal advice.

Other paraphilias

The paraphilias listed below are less common.

There are also many other rare paraphilias.

The supposed paraphilia of autogynephilia, or sexual pleasure from perceiving oneself as a woman, has been proposed as a motivation for transgender behavior, but is generally regarded as theoretical in nature. It is not well accepted.

Religion and Paraphilia

Some religious conservatives views paraphilias as deviations from God's original plan for human sexuality, or from religious laws. Depending in part on the nature of the paraphilia in question, judgements can differ as to whether it should be considered a case of sexual sin, or of mental illness.

See also

External links